*INSERT MUSHU'S I LIVE MEME*

With that done, now it's time to use all the apologies I can think of for the HUGE delay, so yes, I am very very sorry. However, something good has come from all this, and that is I have finally made a writing schedule that I can kind of follow. And I know that it works becuase not only I wrote this chapter but chapter 7 as well! That mean next update is already prepared, which is a first for me and a really good feeling, not gonna lie.

So, from now on, if nothing weird happens, I will update every 8 week (because I kind of follow the schedule, but I am still slow as freaking hell T.T). Hopefully that means there won't be another 10 months break again... God, I am really sorry about it.

Next point, reviews. Some pepole had pointed that me replying in the AN bloats the chapter, and yeah, they are right. Especially this one becuase there are a lot of reviews and it would take proably 3 or 4 pages to do it. So, from now on, I will reply the reviews via PM. I will do it today and tomorrow (because the original plan was to reply in this AN, but now I won't but still wanted to update as soon as possible and reply all the reviews it's going to take a while, so yeah), replying to the ones which are not spoilerish and all that, like I said before. Except for the guest reviews, that I am going to keep responding them in the AN becuase is the only way. So, some bloating but a lot less than what it could be. And to keep said bloating to a minimum, let's do that!

Swoogan - Yes, fromsoftware's MCs have some anger issues. But it probably comes from the obssesion of grabbing every shiny thing they see XD

Halo - Not going to lie, I love how that jump scene sounds. I don't know if there will be a moment when I can use it, but if some day I have enough time to make omakes, that will be one of them XD And thank you a lot for the congratulations! I still don't belive how much people like this story, honestly. It's fantastic.

Red hair haki - Woah, I didn't know those existed. Thanks a lot! I will definetely give them a look.

Doom Bunny - Yeah, the chosen undead in the frampt route is very hard to say if they know or not, but Knight knew it. He said so himself in the first chapter, but now rereading it's very easy to miss it. Something to improve in a future rewrite.

Guest 2021 - Man, I would love to, but sadly I don't have the means to commision one. If someone wants to do a fanart on their own and then tells me, I will be eternally grateful and share the links (or as much as a link as fanfiction let people post), but I can't do anything else.

Scratch J - Yes, Lordran is not the best place to learn how live normally, but he will do his very best. And about the background, there will be some points (pretty sure I told one or two already, but knowing me, they are incredible vague for someone who isn't inside my head), but with how messed up his mind is, the time before the asylum is even more forgotten, so it won't be a lot.

Ben 1000912 - Now that you had pointed it out, I can't stop seeing the similarities XD But... more than magic, it seems to be an ability all chosen dead and some undead have, doesn't it?

JustAnotherGuest - Well, I have already a plan for all that. I think it makes sense and will explain some things, so hopefully, I won't ruin this because as you said, is a critical moment. And about that other fic, yeah I remember it. I really liked it, but I searched it and it seems it has being removed (because I don't remember any content that could provoke the ire of a moderator). Very sad to be honest.

And that's it. Still 1k words of AN, but it could be a lot worse. And remember, I still have to reply a lot of reviews by PM (and a lot of PM asking if I was alive too... you people are the best and I am the worst), but even if I don't, remember that I read each and every review and all of them makes my day. So again, thank you all for the favorites, follows and reviews! And now, enjoy the chapter!

(Real size 10216 words)

Knight was pretty sure feeling so elated with the current situation was abnormal if not completely stupid, but he could not help it. He knew that usually he would not have such a reaction, but this time was different. Now, after all this time…

"Ok, Knight, let's see what we can get you from the arsenal."

He was getting a real weapon.

The wood sword did not count for obvious reasons, and the axe, even if it had fulfilled its objective, had been in a really bad shape. Knight had seen weapons at their breaking point, and that axe had reached that point years ago. It was a miracle that the orc's skin had been cut instead of breaking the metal.

And maybe if he got a weapon for himself, he would not have the constant impulse of stealing Vault's sword every time he thought about it. It was starting to be ridiculous.

The arsenal, as Maia had called it, was a section of the camp filled with boxes and crates full of weapons. Most of them were already closed, as the group would be moving in a few hours, but there was still a lot of movement around them, with men getting more weapons or replacing the ones which were beyond repair.

In the middle of the crates, there was a man overseeing all the exchanges of weapons, barking orders to some of the men who were carrying the boxes. He was not very tall, but he was corpulent, clear muscles in his arms and torso. Brown hair, long beard, and a hard semblance completed the picture. He had a permanent frown in his face until he noticed them, changing it for a raised eyebrow.

"Well, well, well." the man said with a gruff voice, a tint of amusement in his tone "I really hope you are not here for a replacement for your broken swords, Maia. I know a lot of blacksmiths that would cry if something happened to them."

Maia snorted, "Of course not. Unlike some people, I know how to treat my weapons." she replied, loud enough for some of the men replacing their weapons to hear her and grunt in response, "No, I am here because the big guy here needs something more than his shield. But first, presentations. Knight, this is Garret, our quartermaster. Garret, this is Knight, the one who is going to save your collective ass a lot of problems."

The quartermaster chuckled, "Speak for yourself, Maia. I am not going."

The Princess Knight blinked. Knight could see that of all the possible replies, she had not expected that one. She recovered quickly, though, "Wait, you aren't? Why?"

Garret scratched his beard, "I am not the best at fighting, you know that. And…" he doubted for a bit, a faraway look in his eyes, "This will be the ninth month of my wife's pregnancy. I… I want to be there for her and my child. I want to meet them, no matter what."

If her gaping mouth was anything to go by, this news was even less expected than he not coming, "Wait, wait, wait. You are going to be a father? How? I mean, I know how, but when—Wait." she suddenly stopped, the surprise increasing even more, "You are married!?"

The man laughed, "Yes, I am. Thank you for the vote of confidence." he said with palpable irony, Maia blushing a little from that one, "But don't worry. I barely believe it myself. It happened very fast. There… there have been a lot of changes since the last time you visited us."

"No kidding." Maia muttered, still processing said events, "What's next? Vault being humble about something? Hicks finding some poor woman that can put up with him for more than a week?" she kept muttering to herself, probably about more and more strange possibilities.

Garret shook his head, mirth obvious in his eyes. Then he looked at Knight and began to inspect him. He could recognize that expression. The man was looking at him like an armor, not like a person. Garret had to have heard about the events last night and how he was a 'golem', so he could not fault him for that. At least, he could see some respect in the man's eyes. That was more than what he had gotten from the other men.

After some more seconds of inspection, he nodded and looked to Maia, "So, any ideas about what weapon you want for it?"

That was enough to shake Maia out of her frenzy, "Weapon? Oh, yes, the weapon." she smiled sheepishly, realizing she had forgotten her original goal with the news, "Well, I know he can use a sword and an axe, but I am open to suggestions. And you want to conserve the shield, right, Knight?"

He nodded fervently. It was not his favorite type of shield, but it was way better than having none. And all his memories were of him with a shield, so fighting without it probably would be a bad idea.

Garret began to scratch his beard, thinking,"Mmm, with its size, I would suggest a great axe or a great sword. But if we leave the shield, a long sword or maybe… Yes, a lance would be better, if it can use it." the man nodded to himself, satisfied with his idea, and began to look at several crates, "Now wait for a second, I am sure I have a good lance around here."

Maia went to help the quartermaster, but Knight was not very fond of the lance idea. He was sure he knew how to use one, but it was not one of his favorite weapons. Leaving the pair with the crates, he began to look for one that hopefully would trigger a memory. There were several kinds, from short swords to big clubs made of wood, and, curious enough, no matter which one he looked at, he was sure he had used one of them before. Or at least, something fairly alike.

Some of them were good weapons, no legendary ones, of course, but good enough. However, they did not resonate with him, they were not the one, and he knew there had to be one more suited for him than the others. Knight did not remember it, but he could feel it. A weapon —or a type of weapon— he was more familiar with. One that had worked for him uncountable times. One that he, after trying all the weapons he had found in his past life, had always come back to. One that… that…

That he was seeing right now.

With a surprised blink, Knight stopped and looked at it. After just a second of pondering, he extended his hand and grabbed the handle, bringing it out of the barrel. The movement was enough to unsheathe it from its scabbard, metal glinting with the sunlight. Then, Knight raised his arm, rotating it so the blade was vertical. For a second, he saw his own reflection in the polished metal—

~ —and almost fell to the ground as the weight of the sword proved to be too much for him. Damn, this thing was heavy, but considering the size of its last owner, he could see how lightness had not been an issue when crafting the weapon. It had been almost twice as tall as him and cladded in full armor. And if that was not enough of a clue, his several-times-broken bones were a good proof of it.

Nevertheless, he was committed to using this weapon.

It had cost him blood, souls, and several deaths, but he had finally slayed the knight of the Burg and claimed its weapon as prize. After all that effort, he wanted to at least be able to use it, especially because of his first time in the Burg, when he had been forced to admit he could not win and flee after dying more times than he was comfortable remembering. He had then promised to himself he would come back, beat the knight, and take its sword as a symbol that he would not escape again.

He could not use it now, though. It was too heavy to use with one hand, and even if he discarded the shield to use it two handed, he was not confident in his ability to not cut himself before cutting the enemy. Clearly, he needed some practice first, and he had the perfect training tool for this.

After focusing for a second, the weapon in his hand disappeared, and soon, another one took its place. It was one of the few he had purchased instead of being collected from corpses —both old and fresh ones. The blacksmith had assured him it would serve him greatly, he just needed to be a little stronger than he had been at the time. And his firm hold on the raised sword told him he was strong enough now.

Both weapons were very similar, in design at least, so he would use this one to grow used to it while getting the strength and dexterity needed for such a weapon. He nodded to himself, pleased with his idea. Now, there was only one detail left. How had Andre said this sword was called? ~

"A bastard sword?" Maia's voice shook him out of his memories. She and Garret were at his side, looking at him with curiosity, "I mean, it's a good weapon, but not one you usually use with a shield."

Knight did not answer her, too busy looking at his reflection. It sounded improbable, but this was the first time seeing himself since he had arrived in this world. He had known some details, like the black metal and the horns, but there had always been something more important to do than looking for a mirror. Besides, Knight did not know how to take the armor off, so he had decided it did not matter how it looked. He still believed that.

Seeing the image of one of his old enemies was a bit surprising, though.

And not just any enemy. He was wearing the armor of the Black Knights, some of the strongest foes he had fought in his past life. Old legends in a forgotten land, forever waiting until a warrior got close to them. He… was not sure of their origins, but he knew they were ancient and not… originally black? What the hell did that mean?

Knight squinted his eyes, focusing on his reflection with the hope of triggering a memory about it, but he only received more flashes of his battles against the old warriors and their different versions. With different weapons, different tactics, but all of them sharing the same unbelievable strength and determination. That was the only constant between them… that, and how many times they had killed him. It was kind of impressive.

He tried to shake his head from these thoughts —failing, of course— and then did it mentally. There would be time to think about all this later, for now, Knight wanted to try this sword. So, with a quick nod towards Maia to show her he had heard her, he began to approach a nearby tree. When he got closer, Knight grabbed the shield from his back and took his usual stance, but this time, with the addition of the bastard sword in his right hand, which in an instant was resting over his right shoulder.

The world around Knight froze. He felt as if a piece of himself, a piece he had forgotten, was again in its right place. Yes, he was definitely keeping it. Maybe they were not the sword and shield of his memories, the equipment that a part of himself longed to hold once more, but they were an acceptable replacement. With that feeling in his heart, the tree before him was not a tree anymore. It was a moving corpse, a skeleton, a giant rat, a snake-man. It was each and every foe he could remember. And like he had done in his past life, Knight slashed them with a horizontal swing.

The tree trunk exploded, half cut by the sword sharpness and half crushed by his own strength. Without its support, the tree began to fall, leaves and branches shaking. However, before it could reach the ground, Knight swung again, reversing his previous action, and hitting the tree again. This time, the angle was horrible, and he just tore a chunk of wood. However, the power behind the attack was enough to move the falling tree and make it fall some meters away from its original place.

The loud ruckus attracted a lot of attention from the men around them, and the ones who had been already watching whistled in respect or cursed at the sudden falling tree. For his part, Knight just raised the sword and inspected the blade, frowning a little. It was easy to see the effects of the recent impact, the edge losing some sharpness in the affected zones. However, the metal had not bent nor chipped, so Knight decided it reached his standards.

The weapon had not been made for someone with his strength, but it would serve him fine… Especially if he treated it as a sword and not as an axe. He mentally grimaced a little at the thought. He had been excited to try it, but that was a quick way to damage a blade unnecessarily.

Finally, Knight turned around and looked for Maia. She was with the quartermaster, the both of them walking towards him while whispering something he was not able to hear. The Princess Knight looked equal parts happy and proud, while Garret was obviously impressed but scoffed a bit when he extended his hand and gave Maia something. Wait, were those coins? He thought they did not have to pay for the weapon… although then, the exchange should have been the opposite.

"Well, not the usual option, but I should have known common sense doesn't work with you." Maia said with a smile and a voice full of mirth, as if happy that he was so unusual in every aspect, "I guess this means you want this one?"

Knight nodded. It was the closest one to the sword in his memories, so he knew he would not have problems with it. Maia nodded as well, happy that the problem was solved, but he did not pay much attention to her, busy in his own thoughts. Now that the test was over, he began to recall the memory of the bastard sword, especially how he had summoned and unsummoned weapons at will. And he wanted that.

Not only was it an invaluable skill to have, but if he was right, it was probably related to how he had changed armors in an instant. It was basically the key to show everyone there was someone inside the 'golem'. More important than being able to shake his head, even. That meant Knight had a new aim for his nighty training.

With that decided, he focused again on his surroundings, noticing how Garret had approached him with a sheath in his hand.

"Not what I would have chosen, but it's obvious it works. So, take this and treat it well." the man offered the scabbard to Knight and then turned to Maia, "But for the love of the goddess, keep it from using it against more trees, for the sake of the blade if nothing else."

Knight's head dropped a little, ashamed from his actions and annoyed that Garret had completely ignored him while he talked. He was right, though, so he would not hold it against the man and just accepted the scabbard, a little hesitant of where he should tie it. However, like the first time he had put the shield away, his arm moved automatically towards his back, the sheath now resting there with no apparent mechanism behind it.

Well, he was not going to complain about it.

"It seems I have arrived at a good time."

The voice sounded behind him, suddenly. Knight had not sensed anything, and almost attacked on pure instinct. Luckily, he recognized the voice's owner before he could act rashly. Still, the man really was stealthy, an assassin would be jealous of such skill.

"Kyle?" Maia asked as she moved to look behind Knight, "Damn, using the big guy as a hiding spot is a little cheating, but nonetheless I am going to have to put a bell around your neck."

"I can't say I am into that, but maybe I will let you." answered the man, a smile obvious even if clothes covered his mouth, "It would be good training and give the poor game some chance when I am hunting. But leaving your strange, sexual preferences aside, I am here because I have found a good test for your friend."

Maia looked at the scout with an unimpressed face, but soon turned into a vicious, teasing smile.

"Please, as if half of the present wouldn't cut his left arm or even sell his grandma for seeing this," the redhead emphasized her words with her body, moving her hands from the sides of her chest to her hips, "without a piece of cloth. That includes any kind of 'strange, sexual preference', of course. You are not fooling anyone, Kyle, irony is not a good way to hide your undying love for me."

The man winced, very intensely, and avoided Maia's eyes. It was the most expressive Knight had seen the man since he had met him… which, being fair, it was not a lot of time. At his side, Maia blinked, surprised at how effective her teasing had been. However, before she could ask about it, Kyle turned around and shook his head.

"Ok. Ok. I… I should have expected that one." the man began to walk towards the trees, "But no time to gloat over it. We have to go before I lose its trail."

Kyle kept walking, not bothering to see if they were following or not. After some tense seconds, Maia muttered something along the lines of 'what the fuck' and shook her head, as if trying to forget something. Then, she began to follow him, Knight just behind her. He was curious about the strange interaction, but Knight barely knew Maia, much less Kyle. It had been awkward, that was obvious by the redhead's reaction, but he could not discern to what level.

"Maia!"

The sudden shout made them stop and look back. Garret was there, looking at said redhead with an expression Knight was not able to decipher. What he could see was the man was tense, very tense, his right fist clenched so tight that he could see his knuckles turning white.

"Garret?" Maia asked, confused, "What's wrong?"

The man did not reply at first, just looking at her and to the other men around them, who had stopped whatever they were doing to observe the scene, probably also curious about what this was about. Garret remained silent for a bit more, his expression turning harder and harder, looking several times to Kyle's back, as the man had not turned around. Finally, his face relaxed and he let out a giant sigh.

"Just… be careful, ok? This won't be like your usual fights."

Maia blinked, but it soon turned into a chuckle.

"Awww!" she exclaimed excitedly, a big grin on her face, "You do care! But don't worry, Garret. I won't let any monster or dark elf get the better of me, you know that."

"Y-yeah… of course." the man shook his head, "Then, just good luck, Maia."

"Thank you!" they began to move again as Maia waved goodbye, "But you are going to need it more than me, Mr. new-daddy!"

The man snorted one last time and returned to his crates. Maia laughed and kept going. For his part, Knight was just trying to focus. Whatever the beast Kyle had found was, he had to prove he was strong enough to help in this mission. With a little nod to himself, and adjusting the weight of his new sword on his shoulder, he followed the man.

After a short walk through the forest, Kyle made them a gesture to sign they had to remain in silence from that point… which, immediately, prompted Maia to break said silence. At least, she had the sense to just whisper.

"Ok, so, what test have you found, Kyle? And it better be enough to show Vault what Knight can do." she finished with an authoritative tone.

The scout let out a resigned sigh, "You are lucky I knew you wouldn't remain silent and planned accordingly. And for the test," he stopped, looked around for a bit, and then resumed his walk, "It's a surprise, but don't worry. Vault has already approved it and is there with some others to see the action."

Maia grinned at his response, "Then I hope he has a good seat to appreciate the show of me making him eat his words… I mean, Knight will do it, but I guess he will do it in my name? Wait, this is getting confusing."

Kyle chuckled but did not add anything else. For his part, Knight was waiting for this test with some anticipation. After all, it was going to be a fight, and fights had proved to be the best method to regain his motor functions, even if those were mainly focused on how to kill better. As someone had said once to him, 'Beggars cannot be choosers'.

Finally, they approached a clearing and Kyle signaled them to stop and hide in the bushes, "We are here. Keep close to the ground, be careful of breaking a fallen twig, and for the goddess' sake, Maia, keep your voice down."

The redhead narrowed her eyes, visibly containing herself from replying to that commentary in a way that would prove Kyle right. After some deep breathings, she decided it was not worthy and ignored the scout, looking at the clearing as Knight was doing. They did not need to look too much, as there was only one notable sight in front of them.

Close to the trees at the other side of the clearing, a wolf was peacefully drinking from a little pond. It seemed Kyle's position was perfect, as the animal did not notice their presence, which gave Knight time to think. It was clear what the test was, but it seemed a little easy to him. After all, it was just one wolf, and a very tiny one at that… Wait, no. It was not little, just average… But… but not big… Not as big as–

~ No! Please stop! I just need the covenant ring, so we do not have to do this! I do not want to fight you, Sif!" ~

Knight grimaced as the powerful flash finished and began to grow fainter, making harder and harder to remember what it had been about. Great, another one of those memories. At least, he knew it was related to the wolf before him, but still did not know how or why. Knight mentally shook his head. No time to worry about that, he needed to kill the wolf and prove his strength…

Which was a thought that almost triggered the memory again. It did not, thankfully, so he decided to ignore it for now.

Before he could really regain his focus, Maia spoke at his side, looking at Kyle with a raised eyebrow, "A lone wolf? I thought you guys wanted to give Knight a challenge, not a chore."

However, the scout just shook his head, "Keep looking, Maia."

It was obvious the redhead did not want to do that, opening her mouth again, but before she could ask, something happened. A loud noise, like a tree falling to the ground, and then, something pounced on the wolf.

There was not even a fight. A loud crack filled the clearing as the wolf's bones lost against the weight of its hunter. Probably its spine too, as the animal did not move again. Then, Knight focused on the attacker and almost missed how his mouth opened a little bit, trying to gap from the sight.

It was a rabbit, with fluffy white fur, long ears, big incisors, and deep red eyes. Just with the little detail of being as long as a horse and as corpulent —if not more— than the giant boar of his previous life. It was focused on the wolf under its paws, but when it did move, the overgrown rabbit began to sniff the air. Luckily, like with the wolf, it did not detect them, so it looked at the wolf again and… began to eat it. Tearing its flesh apart with its giant, frontal teeth.

There had to be some kind of metaphor here about hunters, preys, and expectations, but the sight was too bizarre for him to think about such things.

"And that's the test." Kyle confirmed.

"Oh, a Killer Rabbit. They are from the north, so it's rare to find one as far south as this. It's been a while since the last time I saw one of those." Maia said with a melancholic voice, as if she was talking about a fond memory and not about a bear-sized ball of bloodlust and fluffiness. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but for once, she did not notice or decided to ignore it.

Probably the latter.

Finally, she looked at him and shooed him with a hand, "So now go, go! Usually, you need ten or twelve trained soldiers to subjugate one, so Vault is right, it will be more than enough for the test. Ah, and Knight? Try not to destroy it too much," Maia grinned, "Killer Rabbit meat is very tasty."

Knight mentally chuckled at that. Hunting for food was not one of his abilities, but in this case, he was sure his ability to kill enemies would suffice. With his goal clear, Knight gripped his new sword and shield and began to walk towards the rabbit… trying to ignore the strange relief of not having to kill the wolf.

The monster seemed very busy eating said wolf's corpse, but as soon as he took the first steps, its ears tensed and moved, orienting themselves to his direction. Knight did not stop his approach, after all, he was not stealthy, he knew he was not going to surprise the monster. And then, confirming it had heard something, the Killer Rabbit raised its head and looked at him with big, red eyes and frontal teeth still covered by the blood of its last prey.

Not the most disturbing enemy he could remember, but it would be in the list with an honorable mention, nonetheless.

After a moment of silence, the rabbit growled —which Knight had to admit he had not expected—, and then began to hop towards him… And maybe 'hop' was not the best word, as it did not convey the full reality of the earth trembling every time the monster impacted the ground, powerful leg muscles forcing themselves to make it jump again.

Knight could see the strength of its body and knew this battle would not be as easy as the one he had had with the orc. However, at the same time, he was feeling the anticipation for it, as it would help him to remember more of his last life, teaching him again the truth of his body and his power. He had decided to stop a war, an oversized rabbit would not be more than a pebble in his path.

With a final jump, the monster got close to him, paw ready to smash him like a bug. Knight raised his shield in front of him and stopped the attack. A loud sound filled the field as powerful muscle met solid metal. He felt his own muscles tensing and bones rattling as they did their best to absorb the impact. Knight could not help but grin —realizing for the first time he could grin. He had been right, that orc had nothing on this rabbit.

The monster did not even stop. Seeing its paw had done nothing, it moved its neck, giant teeth ready to bite his head off. However, it was Knight's turn. Before the monster could move, he slashed with his sword, a horizontal arc from his right shoulder to his left. Even with its size, the monster was still a rabbit, and moved out of the way with more agility than he had thought it had.

But not fast enough.

A painful roar left the beast as one of its ears fell to the ground, blood coming out from the severed body part. Knight's goal had been to cleave its face, so it was lucky for losing just an ear. However, the Killer Rabbit did not seem to think the same. With a roar full of rage, the monster charged at him, forcing him to raise his shield again and get ready for a dance his body remembered better than anything else.

The exchange of blows continued for a while. Knight stopped its strikes with his shield and then tried to cut the monster. However, the rabbit was more than a mindless beast, as it had learnt to move quickly after every time its paw was stopped. It avoided many slashes, but some connected, coating his sword and its fur with blood from the wounds on its limbs and sides.

The monster was not the only one damaged, though. With every hit stopped, Knight's arm grew numb, and his left side burned with the toll of such impacts. The shield was good, but not good enough, letting some of the force of the attacks pass through. However, in a strange way, it was not an unwelcome feeling.

Every exchange cleared a little bit of the fog in his mind. Every attack made his muscles spasm with forgotten movements. Knight had been sure this would happen, but getting such confirmation was exhilarating. After a particularly strong blow, he willingly rolled his left shoulder to recover a bit and decided that yes, numbness and discomfort were a cheap price to pay for this.

Sadly, the monster did not seem happy to help him. With a new cut on its side and a growl, it disengaged, jumping away from Knight. He frowned. Was it running away? A normal animal would have done so a lot earlier, but the Killer Rabbit reminded him of the monsters of his old life. Never surrendering, never running away.

He was proved correct when the rabbit stopped at the limit of the nearby trees and began to charge at him, the earth breaking under its paws, and the grass being blown out as it accelerated. Knight could see the fury and bloodlust on its eyes. It just wanted to beat him and turn his body into an unrecognizable pulp, and if it needed to charge like a wild boar to do it, it would do it gladly.

Knight tensed. The monster was agile, so getting out of the way would not be easy. Still, it was battle related so he probably could do it… but Knight did not want to evade it. It probably was stupid, nay, it was stupid, but a part of him wanted to meet the attack head on, to prove his strength to Maia, to the Kuroinu and to himself. It was not smart, but he wanted to know that he could do it. A final test to confirm he would not betray Anna's and Maia's expectations.

With a little nod to the charging monster, he sheathed his sword and took the shield with both hands.

"Wait." Maia's voice sounded behind him, quickly deducing his intentions, "That's not something you can just block! Dodge it, Knight!"

He understood her worry, but he had already decided to do this. Besides, it was too late to move. In an instant, the Killer Rabbit was just in front of him, head down ready to headbutt him to death. Knight raised his shield one last time and got ready. Every muscle in his body tensed, his knees bent and, just before the impact, he pushed with all the strength he could muster.

The sound from the collision was deafening, like a battering ram trying to break a castle's door. His throat contracted, trying to produce a grunt that his paralyzed vocal cords stopped. His bones trembled and his muscles protested, but he did not take a step back, he refused to. Blood pounded in his ears, but he still heard a loud crack. He realized with some relief it had not come from his body but from the cracking ground at his feet.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the pressure in his arms receded and a faint breath left his lungs. With a heavy thud, the rabbit's body collapsed before him. Knight lowered his shield, feeling like he should be panting, but not needing to. Now that he could focus on it, he was in fairly good condition, the numbness and pain already gone. It was nice to know he recovered fast. Added to the fallen monster, he could not help but look down with a satisfied feeling in his chest.

The Killer Rabbit was still alive, but it probably was regretting it. It seemed the monster had lost itself in its fury, because it was clear by its bleeding and deformed head, that its skull was not made for a frontal charge like the one it had tried. Its body twitched, but it did not seem it was able to move. It tried to growl, and more blood came from its mouth, its eyes losing focus. It was clear it had not much time left.

Knight decided to be merciful and with a quick slash, he severed its head.

As soon as the rabbit died, he felt again that unexplainable feeling of absorbing a soul. It was refreshing, like taking a breath of the purest air, but, at the same time, poisonous, like being covered by the filthiest dirt. Knight was… really confused about it, but he had not remembered enough about it. Besides, it was one of the core differences between him and his definition of human, so if he could not recall the answer, he preferred to not think about it at all.

With the beast slayed, he finally looked at the witnesses of his test. There were several groups of men that had not been there before, cheering him for the fight. Now that he thought about it, they had started to appear after the first clash, when discretion was no longer needed, but he had been too immersed in the battle to pay attention. At the front, Vault nodded with respect at him, and Kin was… taking notes? Knight had no time to ponder about it as Maia was walking towards him with quick and decided steps.

"You crazy son of a bitch, I told you to dodge!" the redhead said after smacking him on the arm with enough strength to sting. Her words and actions were ones of anger, but her face and tone were a mix of exasperation and pride. After some seconds of silence, she sighed, "Ok, I will give it to you, that last block was fucking epic. But the next time I tell you to dodge a charging, giant monster, do it. Am I clear?"

He nodded. After all, had it not been for his desire to prove himself, he would have dodge. Specially to test if he could roll, a technique that Knight had abused in his old life, but one that needed a lot of coordination to achieve. He… was not too sure he had enough control to do it. But leaving all that aside, he had done it. He had defeated the beast and proved what Maia had been repeating nonstop.

He was strong.

He had proved it.

And he was ready for this mission.

Maia seemed to understand his thoughts, as with a nod of her own, she turned to the side, looking at Vault and Kin with a satisfied smile, "Well, I think someone promised me an apology."

The leader of Kuroinu chuckled, "I can admit when I am wrong. It surely can fight, and I am glad about it. As long as it can bring down the barrier, I will admit you had a good idea, Maia."

The Princess Knight blinked, "That's… That's probably the worst apology I have ever heard."

"And yet is the only one you are going to have." the man replied. Maia pouted, but Vault ignored her with a little shake of his head, "Now go. You and your friend have to get ready for the trip. We have lost some time with this test, so we are going to make up for it with the horses."

Maia's face turned serious, nodding once, and grabbed Knight's arm as she took them towards the camp, "Come on, Knight. You have heard the boss. It's time to get ready for the road."

Knight stumbled a little with the surprisingly strong pull from Maia, but recovered soon enough and began to follow her, not needing to stop to put his weapons in his back. It was a familiar maneuver, one that filled him with little flashes of memory and expectation for what would come. After all, now that he had weapons and had gained the Kuroinu's approval, Knight had everything he needed to end this war. He was one step closer to capturing the evil queen behind all this.

One step closer to bringing peace to worried mothers and hopeful girls.

One step closer to returning to the peaceful town and enjoying its tranquility and its hustle again.

With his path for the future clear, Knight kept walking towards the camp.

As the pair left the clearing, Vault's smile fell, his eyes fixed on Maia and Knight with a calculative look.

"So, your thoughts?" Vault asked with a serious tone, not even looking at the mage at his side or at the group of men that began to approach the monster's carcass.

"Strong, very strong, but we already knew that." Kin began to read from his notes, "Slow, but not as slow as a normal person with full armor should be. It has a poor sword technique, but its proficiency with that shield is stupidly good. Its reaction time, at least while defending, it's scary. And for the little I have seen, I think Maia is right about its ability to read the environment and act accordingly."

"And your conclusion?"

The mage looked at the dead monster with a thoughtful look, "Hard to say when there is no face to look at, but considering some little gestures, I think the rabbit's attacks caused some damage, so blunt force could work if the armor is too strong to be cut. And Maia told it to dodge the charge, yet it blocked it, therefore it's probably not very agile. We don't know how it would hold against magic, but with those weird enchantments I wouldn't count on it. Considering all that, and trying to be prudent about it, I believe it would take a stupidly huge number of soldiers to beat it. Maybe 3 or 4 of the captains would work, but, one on one, probably only you and Hicks can do it."

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Vault cursed as he scratched his chin, "That complicates everything. If that toy is so strong, fighting it and Maia at the same time could get ugly very fast."

Kin nodded, sharing the opinion, "Maybe if we capture Maia while they are separated, it won't get violent. After all, they don't seem to share any kind of magical bond." then he stopped and frowned, grumbling his next words, "At least, one that I am able to detect or understand."

The man shook his head, "Not likely. For what we have seen, the golem never leaves her side. And even if we can do that, we will have to return to the original plan for the barrier, which let me remind you, is riskier than using the golem. The only opportunity would be when it's already inside the Dark Tower, but at that moment there will be too many things to worry about for us to capture Maia. Not talking about how we would lose her help for the invasion."

The mage raised an eyebrow, "Worried about some traps and monsters?"

Vault scoffed, "Worried about the monster. If that half breed hasn't left the tower like the rest of the helpers, we will have to deal with her. And beyond Maia or me doing it, I don't see any other solution that doesn't end with half of us suffering a sudden case of death by castration."

Kin grimaced a little at the memory, "Yes, that was one brutal battle. I think some men still automatically protect their groins when they hear her name."

"And that's why having Maia there can be an excellent opportunity. Still, we will have Hicks and some men protecting her, we can't risk losing her." he sighed and shook his head, "She has, at the same time, made our lives a lot easier and a lot harder."

"Quite." Kin agreed. Then smiled, "And after sending Hicks to do some scouting of our whole route just in case, I don't think he will be very happy about the protection duty. But leaving that aside, we still must find a way to neutralize the golem before we capture Maia. Perhaps destroying it just after the barrier is down? We will need the captains to do it, but with Maia, Hicks, you and me, there shouldn't be anything else we should need them for."

"It won't work. I know Maia, she will run towards the golem the second the barrier is down. I don't know why, but she feels protective of it, like it's her responsibility to keep it safe." Vault grunted and began to rub his face, "And that's basically the problem. Maia was going to be one of the easiest ones, probably not even resisting us while we chained her. But if that thing tries to save her and we attack it, she will fight to defend it. And she is not only fucking strong but will fight to the death. Which is why we can't have that happening."

"A complex conundrum." Kin grabbed his chin, deep in thought. He had used his familiars to watch Maia and the golem, and while he didn't know the woman as well as Vault did, he could kind of see what he was talking about in the way she looked and talked to the golem, "What we should do, then?"

Vault narrowed his eyes, thinking, "If we wait some days after we conquer the tower, maybe we could create an opportunity separating them. But it won't be easy as the toy is basically made to not leave her fucking side and obey every word she says without a second… thought…" the man trailed off, a new glint appearing in his eyes.

Kin looked to his leader, knowing that look, "I guess now we have a plan?"

Vault looked at the mage, still lost in thought. Then, a vicious grin formed in his face.

"I don't know if it will work, so first, I must have a deep and serious talk with our maiden in love. But if she confirms it…" he chuckled, already imagining the outcome, "We won't even have to lift a finger to crush her resistance."

Traveling with the Kuroinu was a new experience, to say the least.

After his fight against the rabbit, Maia and Knight had returned to the camp and found it almost ready to go, tents undone and all the cargo already in the carts or on the horses. Even their things had already been inside the bags Nox carried. He did not know if that was because they knew they would come with them, or to send them home as soon as possible, but he felt grateful for it, nonetheless.

Then, as soon as Vault had appeared and gave the order, the entire group left. At first, they had been slowed down by the trees, but when they finally got out of the forest, they had increased the pace. However, it had still been fairly slow in his opinion, not even as fast as Maia and Knight had traveled the previous day to reach the camp.

Feeling his confusion, Maia had explained to him they were not running because the trip was long. If they burned the horses out, they would never reach the Dark Tower in time, and it seemed timing was fundamental for the plan for some reason. She had admitted she did not know why, but Vault was sure of it and Celestine had confirmed it, so it surely had to be important.

As they moved, the men had talked with good spirits, sometimes even singing some songs. He had not been sure, but after seeing the groups traveling through the plains, Knight could see they were a lot less men than what he had expected, maybe fifty or sixty. There had been a lot more people at the camp, but he supposed they had been there just to organize the assault, like the quartermaster. And if the plan was as secretive as Maia had insisted, maybe less was better.

For her part, Maia had not talked to him much, busy reconnecting with her old friends, laughing out loud and even joining the singing as well. Even with his limited social capabilities, it had been clear to Knight she had missed this a lot, her face showing the biggest smile he had ever seen on her, so he had felt happy for her. It was as if she had regained a part of herself she had lost, and well, that was something Knight could relate to very well.

They had kept going for hours, with just a little rest to eat something and feed the horses, something Nox had heavily appreciated. And finally, with the sun already disappearing behind the horizon, Vault had given the order to stop and now they were setting the camp again, just smaller than the last one. They began to do it diligently, only walking weird for a bit while complaining for all the hours they had passed on a horse, but Knight would not hold it against them.

Had he not been used to being in the same position for long times, he would probably be complaining as well.

Knight wanted to help, but considering his lack of proper control over his body, he had to settle for just looking at them working and not being in the way. That included Maia, who was busy with her own tent, which was only hers even if she had insisted it was big enough for the two of them. He had declined not only because being so close to her filled him with a strange nervousness, but because he did not need to sleep, so it would not make sense.

If her laugh and exaggerated rolling eyes were anything to go by, she had only understood the first reason.

Besides, this way, he could keep watch, even if now that they were with the Kuroinu it felt a little stupid to do. At least, if Maia had a turn of watching, he could do it for her. However, last night he had seen several men doing turns, so they probably did not need her for that.

After the camp had been set, they gathered around some bonfires and had some dinner. For obvious reasons, he did not take any food, but Maia almost forced him to sit at her side, where he could hear all the conversations the redhead was having at the same time. Half of them seemed to be bantering or teasing Maia about now being a proper princess, but she just laughed at it, replying with words, insults, and an ever-present smile on her face.

Knight observed how some men did not join the improvised festivities though. Vault and Kin were the most recognizable ones, talking between them and probably planning something about the mission. Kyle as well, the scout eating alone and with what looked like a frown on his face. There were more men, but the only other that caught his attention was the giant man —Sard, right?—, who looked at Knight for a second and his neutral face turned to one of scorn.

It seemed the man was still angry about the arm-wrestling issue. He just hoped he had not made an enemy for something so stupid.

Finally, the group decided it was time to sleep and began to move to the tents, Knight seating at the side of Maia's like last night. However, unlike last night, he would not use the time stargazing and trying to move his neck. That night, he was determined to practice the strange power of summoning and unsummoning weapons and armor he had seen in that flash of memory.

The problem was, he did not know where to begin. He was sure it was not magic, but it was obviously some kind of power. How had he done it? Where had he learnt it? It… did not feel like a learnt skill, more like… something instinctive. The flashes did not give him all the information, but he could remember how he had just focused on it, on the image of the sword, on the desire of having it in his hand.

Knight closed his eyes, trying to regain that feeling. He tried to imagine the sword from his memories, but to no avail. It was… as if there was something missing. Like something that should be there was not, something that had been there for a long time and had been taken away. He could almost feel it. With a mental nod to himself, Knight began to focus on that part that felt incomplete with the image of the sword in his mind.

Focus…

Focus…

Focus…

Foc—

Everything around him was in complete darkness, not a trace of light that he could see. However, when he looked down, his armored body, arms and legs were perfectly visible, as if he was emanating his own light. Then, as he was observing his hands, little flames began to appear and disappear, dancing between his fingers.

What… what was happening?

Before he could think more about it, a faint light appeared far away, distracting him from his thoughts. He tensed, looking at it for a while, waiting for something to happen. However, after some minutes nothing had changed, so he relaxed again.

With no other thing in the strange darkness around him, he decided to investigate the faint light and began to walk towards it. For an instant, the fear of falling and being consumed by the darkness filled his body, but after the first successful step, it disappeared from his mind. After that, he focused on walking, trying to ignore the nostalgia and aversion this place evoked in him with each step.

After a little bit, he began to notice that moving was becoming more and more difficult. At first, it was almost imperceptible, like some mild wind against him, but with every little progress, it grew stronger, as if the very space around him was trying to keep him from advancing. It reached the point when it was the same feeling he had experienced when trying to walk through water, but still getting stronger.

He began to think that maybe he should turn back, that if it was so hard to walk towards the light, it probably was because he should not do it. However, at the same time, something inside him was sure he had to keep going, that the light was the reason why he was here in the first place. So, he decided to keep going, clenching his fists as more flames appeared on his arms.

He did not know how much more he had walked, but finally, he could not move anymore. The pressure around him was crushing, almost unbearable. He had to use every bit of his strength to raise his arms in front of him, trying to reach the light that remained as far away as it had been when he started.

However, he forgot about it when he noticed his arms, which now were almost engulfed in the previously elusive flames. They kept dancing along his limbs and fingers, almost as if they were alive. It was not the flames that had caught his attention, though. Now, across his arms, there were some kind of incandescent lines, beating with light and heat, feeding the fire around them.

He did not know what they were or where they did come from, but for some reason, he was sure they were the only reason he had been able to move, but it seemed they were not enough to go beyond this point. And with that realization, the pressure that had just kept him from moving began to act against him, trying to make him go back. He wanted to resist, but he knew it was a lost fight from the beginning.

The force around him kept pushing back, and when his feet began to lose traction with the darkness below him, he knew it was over. However, in that instant, something happened. The light he had been trying to reach, suddenly got brighter. At first, he was not sure if he had imagined it or not, but then it happened again, and he realized that said light was getting closer to him.

It did not mean the darkness had stopped to push him away, though. In fact, it seemed as if it had redoubled its efforts, if that was possible. However, he did as well. Now that his goal was so close, he would not allow himself to miss it just because this place did not want him. He gritted his teeth and pushed back, the light and flames around him increasing in intensity.

Finally, when he was sure he was a push away from being forcefully sent flying, the light got close enough to see what was inside of it.

Or, in this case, who.

The being creating the light —because now he could see that it was the same as him— was… humanoid, but obviously not human. It was bigger than him, maybe two times his height. Its body was thin, very thin, with purplish, ragged skin that clung to the muscle and bone under it. If the color was not enough of a difference, it had six arms, longer than what would be proportionate with its body and using two of them to help support itself. However, all that paled when compared to its head.

Basically, there was no head. Instead, over its shoulders rested a big, wooden chest. It was pure black, with different symbols carved into the wood, shining with a blood-like tone. He did not know what they meant, but just looking at them was giving him a headache.

Then, the symbols shined brighter, almost blinding him. The distraction made him lose some terrain, but he recovered before he was completely pushed away. After some seconds, the light returned to normal levels and the chest opened, showing several rows of shaking, sharp teeth… No, they were not teeth, they were fingers with sharp nails and moving constantly.

It was a bizarre sight, and yet, he was sure he had seen it before. Not… not exactly the same, but similar. He had encountered something similar… he had killed something similar.

That knowledge made him tense, worried that he would have to fight the being and the pressure around him at the same time. However, it did not attack him, it did not move. After some seconds of observing, he realized it did not seem to even breathe. The only movement came from the chest's fingers, creating a pretty disturbing sight.

He did not understand. Was this what he had been searching for? The reason why he was in this strange darkness? He could not see the logic behind all this, and considering the increasing force pushing him back, he would not have time to find it. He looked one last time at the chest, trying to see if he could at least remember the strange carvings, but something else happened. In an instant, the fingers began to move differently. The low row curled over themselves, except for the ones at the sides, while the up row did the opposite, leaving a gap between them in the form of the crescent moon.

Was it… Was that a smile?

Interesting

The voice —was it a voice?— was so sudden that it made him falter. It had resounded inside his head with a power he had not felt since the moment he had left the Fire. The voice back then had been a different one, he was sure of it, but he did not know why he was sure of it or what difference existed between the two. He did not have more time to think about it, though. The surprise from the voice had been enough to break his focus, making him lose the fight against the pushing force.

The next second, he felt himself being blown away with no way of defending, as if he had been too slow to avoid the charge of an enraged dragon. He could feel the force losing strength the further away he got, but never stopping, not until he was out of this place. He could only watch how the being's light grew dimmer and dimmer, its strange smile still focused on him even when the two of them could not see each other anymore.

Very interesting

Knight opened his eyes suddenly, a surprised gasp blocked by his paralyzed throat. What… what the hell had that been? A flash of memory? No, it was too different, too real. Not talking about the fact he had remembered his time in the Fire while it happened. No, it definitely had not been a memory, but then, what it had been?

He clenched his fists, trying to recover from the strange vision and wishing again his neck was not frozen so he could shake his head instead. However, with the movement, Knight finally realized that something was wrong. Instead of barely seeing anything due to the dark night as he had expected, he could see his fists perfectly, his surroundings illuminated by a warm light. Then, he looked up and found the first rays of the dawn in the sky.

This… this did not make any sense. He did not remember very well his attempt at meditation or how long he had been at it, but surely he could not have been trying for the whole night. But if it was not that, then, what had happened? Knight had lost the entire night while having a flash of memory which could not be a flash of memory. It was like… like…

Like if he had dreamt while asleep.

The possibility made him pause. It seemed like the most probable explanation, but it had the little problem of him not being able to sleep in the first place. At least, he had not needed any sleep since he had come to this world. However, the very little he could remember from his past life told him it was not a recent problem, that he had not slept since… he had become… become… something else than human.

That was something he did not want to think about.

But maybe, maybe coming to this world had changed that part of him. Maybe there was something here that had allowed him to sleep after all this time. And with that new experience, he had dreamt as well, seeing a strange combination of memories of an old enemy. Maybe it had been just that. Because if it had not been that…

It would mean it had really happened. It would mean that Knight, somehow, had traveled to a place that gave him the same feelings of welcoming and hostility that only the Fire had caused on him. It would mean that, maybe, if he was not careful, he could end up trapped in that darkness like he had been trapped in the Fire. And that possibility was… Now that he had regained some parts of himself... It… it terrified him.

Knight tried to shake his head to dissipate those thoughts, but just mentally cursed when his neck refused to move. No, that could not happen, it was ridiculous to consider it. He had not gained some kind of ability to travel worlds overnight. After all, he had not been the one to leave the Fire, he had basically been expulsed by the black void and the mysterious voice… the other mysterious voice.

Yes, he did not possess the power to do it, so it could not be anything else but a dream.

…

Right?